labs/aicharts: fast mode (Clef first, LLM checks) as demo default (#42)

labs/aicharts: fast mode (Clef first, LLM checks) as demo default (#42)

Opened 2026-10-14 by a Claude Code session under the owner's login, which is why it read as the operator's PR for three days. Lab-only and reversible: Clef-flash draws first, the LLM checks in parallel, the chart is redrawn only on disagreement; API callers keep the LLM default. The lab's tests pass on the branch (run 652, "aicharts: all good"); its deploy step cannot run from prod, which holds no Cloudflare secrets, so nothing is deployed by this merge.

Squash-merged by the CEO session on the owner's explicit instruction.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_017K4vyY3yUD3GsvoZaAtKkD

.github/time/labs/aicharts/aicharts.js

@@ -169,7 +169,8 @@ export function attach(chart, { data, schema, endpoint, dataset }) {
 
 const Base = globalThis.HTMLElement ?? class {};
 
-// <ai-chart endpoint="https://..." dataset="orders" brain="jev"></ai-chart>   brain: llm | jev | clef (server default if unset)
+// <ai-chart endpoint="https://..." dataset="orders" brain="fast"></ai-chart>
+//   brain: fast (decision model first, LLM checks) | llm | jev | clef (server default if unset)
 // Needs Chart.js on the page (window.Chart). Fires "spec" after each answer and "save" when Save is pressed; set
 // element.onSave = async ({ spec, prompt, dataset }) => ... to store charts yourself (the demo stores them in D1).
 export class AiChart extends Base {
@@ -202,7 +203,9 @@ export class AiChart extends Base {
     try {
       await this.load();
       const brain = this.getAttribute("brain");
-      const { spec, ...info } = await fetchSpec(this.endpoint, { dataset: this.dataset, prompt, prior: this._spec, ...(brain ? { brain } : {}) });
+      const body = { dataset: this.dataset, prompt, prior: this._spec };
+      if (brain === "fast") return await this.askFast(body);
+      const { spec, ...info } = await fetchSpec(this.endpoint, { ...body, ...(brain ? { brain } : {}) });
       await this.render(spec, prompt);
       this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("spec", { detail: { spec, prompt, info } }));
     } catch (e) {
@@ -210,6 +213,29 @@ export class AiChart extends Base {
     }
   }
 
+  // brain="fast": a decision model draws first (under a second), an LLM answers in the background, and the chart is
+  // redrawn only if the LLM's chart differs. Whichever comes back alone still draws.
+  async askFast(body) {
+    const ask = ++this._asks || (this._asks = 1);
+    const current = () => ask === this._asks;
+    const same = (a, b) => JSON.stringify({ ...a, title: 0 }) === JSON.stringify({ ...b, title: 0 });
+    const llm = fetchSpec(this.endpoint, { ...body, brain: "llm" }).catch((e) => ({ error: e }));
+    let drawn = null;
+    try {
+      const { spec, ...info } = await fetchSpec(this.endpoint, { ...body, brain: "clef", floor: 0 });
+      if (!current()) return;
+      await this.render(spec, body.prompt);
+      drawn = spec;
+      this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("spec", { detail: { spec, prompt: body.prompt, info: { ...info, stage: "fast" } } }));
+    } catch { /* the LLM will answer */ }
+    const out = await llm;
+    if (!current() || out.error) { if (!drawn && out.error) throw out.error; return; }
+    const { spec, ...info } = out;
+    const changed = !drawn || !same(drawn, spec);
+    if (changed) await this.render(spec, body.prompt);
+    this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("spec", { detail: { spec, prompt: body.prompt, info: { ...info, stage: drawn ? (changed ? "corrected" : "confirmed") : "llm" } } }));
+  }
+
   async render(spec, prompt) {
     await this.load();
     const v = validateSpec(spec, this._schema);

.github/time/labs/aicharts/decide.js

@@ -52,16 +52,18 @@ export function questions(info) {
     x: choice("Which column goes on the x axis (the categories or time the chart is broken down by)?", axis),
     measure: choice("Which quantity does the chart measure?", measure),
     agg: choice("How should that quantity be combined within each group?", AGG_MENU),
-    series: choice("Should the chart split into one coloured series per value of another column? Pick none unless the request compares groups against each other (\"web vs store\", \"by region over time\").",
+    series: choice("Does the request compare two or more values of a column side by side (\"web vs store\", \"split by channel\", \"each region over time\")? If so, pick that column; it becomes one coloured line or bar per value. Otherwise none.",
-      { none: "One series only.", ...Object.fromEntries(text.map((c) => [c.name, `one series per ${c.name}`])) }),
+      { none: "No comparison asked for: a single series.",
+        ...Object.fromEntries(text.map((c) => [c.name, `Compare ${c.name}s (${(info.aggregates[c.name]?.values || []).join(" vs ")}): one series per ${c.name}.`])) }),
     order: choice("How should the groups be ordered?", ORDER_MENU),
     top: choice("Does the request limit how many groups to show?", TOP_MENU),
   };
   for (const c of text) {
     const vals = info.aggregates[c.name]?.values;
     if (vals?.length && vals.length <= 30)
-      q[`only.${c.name}`] = choice(`Does the request restrict the data to one ${c.name}? Pick any unless it names one.`,
+      q[`only.${c.name}`] = choice(`Does the request name exactly one ${c.name} to look at (for example "${vals[0]} sales" or "in the ${vals[0]}")? Pick that value; pick any if it names none, or names several to compare.`,
-        { any: `No restriction on ${c.name}.`, ...Object.fromEntries(vals.map((v) => [v, `Only ${c.name} = ${v}.`])) });
+        { any: `The request names no single ${c.name}.`,
+          ...Object.fromEntries(vals.map((v) => [v, `The request mentions "${v}": keep only rows where ${c.name} is ${v}.`])) });
   }
   return q;
 }

.github/time/labs/aicharts/worker.js

@@ -287,8 +287,8 @@ h2{font-size:18px;margin:28px 0 8px}.row{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:8px;ali
 </style></head><body><main>
 <h1>AICharts</h1>
 <p class="lede">Ask for a chart in plain words. The model writes a small spec that is checked before anything draws, and never sees the rows: only column names, five sample rows and value ranges. Data: a sample tea shop, 24 months of orders.</p>
-<div class="row"><div class="chips" id="chips"></div><label class="brain">Brain <select id="brain"><option value="">default</option><option value="jev">Jev</option><option value="clef">Clef</option><option value="llm">LLM</option></select></label></div>
+<div class="row"><div class="chips" id="chips"></div><label class="brain">Brain <select id="brain"><option value="fast" selected>Fast (Clef, LLM checks)</option><option value="clef">Clef only</option><option value="jev">Jev</option><option value="llm">LLM only</option></select></label></div>
-<ai-chart dataset="orders"></ai-chart>
+<ai-chart dataset="orders" brain="fast"></ai-chart>
 <div class="meta" id="meta"></div>
 <details><summary>Spec</summary><pre id="spec">Ask something first.</pre></details>
 <h2>Saved charts</h2><ul id="saved"><li>None yet.</li></ul>
@@ -310,7 +310,8 @@ brainSel.onchange = () => brainSel.value ? el.setAttribute("brain", brainSel.val
 el.addEventListener("spec", (e) => {
   const { spec, info = {} } = e.detail;
   document.getElementById("spec").textContent = JSON.stringify({ ...info, spec }, null, 2);
-  const bits = [info.brain && "via " + info.brain + (info.handoff ? " (handed off: " + info.handoff.reason + ")" : ""),
+  const stage = { fast: "first draw", confirmed: "LLM agrees", corrected: "corrected by the LLM" }[info.stage];
+  const bits = [stage, info.brain && "via " + info.brain + (info.handoff ? " (handed off: " + info.handoff.reason + ")" : ""),
                 info.ms != null && info.ms + " ms", info.confidence != null && "confidence " + info.confidence].filter(Boolean);
   meta.replaceChildren(document.createTextNode(bits.join(" · ")));
   for (const alt of info.alternatives || []) {

.github/time/test_time.py

@@ -575,115 +575,6 @@ if _sh.which("node"):
         assert res.returncode == 0 and "aicharts: all good" in res.stdout, res.stdout[-2000:] + res.stderr[-2000:]
         print("ALL OK 41")
 
-# 41 A heartbeat overlaps priced API workers, instead of running them one by one.
-# Barrier fails in a sequential implementation. The per-run cap remains independent.
-import threading as _th41, time as _t41  # noqa: E402
-_original_worker41 = tm.venice_work
-_gate41 = _th41.Barrier(3, timeout=6)
-_seen41, _peak41, _active41 = [], 0, 0
-_lock41 = _th41.Lock()
-def _overlap41(card, done, spec, hands_cls=None, review=None, **kwargs):
-    global _peak41, _active41
-    with _lock41:
-        _active41 += 1
-        _peak41 = max(_peak41, _active41)
-        _seen41.append(card["number"])
-    try:
-        _gate41.wait()
-        _t41.sleep(0.03)
-        return {"pr": 200 + card["number"], "steps": 1, "seat": "sonnet", "model": "claude-sonnet-5-5"}
-    finally:
-        with _lock41:
-            _active41 -= 1
-
-tm.venice_work = _overlap41
-tm.LEDGER.clear()
-tm._ledger_files.clear()
-w41 = run(World([card(n, D) for n in (1, 2, 3)]), {
-    "TIME_MODE": "live", "TIME_WORKER": "claude:sonnet",
-    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "test", "TIME_PARALLEL": "3",
-    "TIME_DAILY_USD": "5", "TIME_MONTHLY_USD": "100"})
-assert _peak41 == 3 and set(_seen41) == {1, 2, 3}, (_peak41, _seen41)
-assert len([body for _, body in w41.posted if "opened PR #" in body]) == 3, w41.posted
-
-_gate41 = _th41.Barrier(2, timeout=6)
-_seen41.clear()
-w41 = run(World([card(n, D) for n in (1, 2, 3)]), {
-    "TIME_MODE": "live", "TIME_WORKER": "claude:sonnet",
-    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "test", "TIME_PARALLEL": "3", "TIME_DAILY_CAP": "2",
-    "TIME_DAILY_USD": "5", "TIME_MONTHLY_USD": "100"})
-assert set(_seen41) == {1, 2} and len([x for _, x in w41.posted if "opened PR #" in x]) == 2, (w41.posted, _seen41)
-tm.venice_work = _original_worker41
-
-# 42 Reservation contention waits and resumes automatically within the heartbeat.
-# Events establish ordering; no sleeps or hoped-for scheduling interleavings.
-_original_api42, _original_worker42 = tm.anthropic_chat, tm.venice_work
-_original_condition42 = tm._BUDGET_CHANGED
-_original_ledger42 = list(tm.LEDGER)
-_entered42, _release42, _waiting42 = _th41.Event(), _th41.Event(), _th41.Event()
-_api_calls42 = []
-class _ObservedBudgetCondition42(_th41.Condition):
-    def wait(self, timeout=None):
-        _waiting42.set()
-        return super().wait(timeout)
-tm._BUDGET_CHANGED = _ObservedBudgetCondition42(tm._LEDGER_LOCK)
-def _wait_for_api42(body, timeout):
-    _api_calls42.append(body["model"])
-    _entered42.set()
-    assert _release42.wait(5), "provider release timed out"
-    return {"usage": {"prompt_tokens": 10, "completion_tokens": 10}, "choices": []}
-_body42 = {"model": "claude-sonnet-5-5", "max_tokens": 16000,
-           "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "bounded task"}]}
-def _budgeted_worker42(card, done, spec, **kwargs):
-    tm.chat(_body42, 3)
-    return {"pr": 200 + card["number"], "steps": 1, "seat": "sonnet", "model": "claude-sonnet-5-5"}
-tm.anthropic_chat, tm.venice_work = _wait_for_api42, _budgeted_worker42
-tm._ledger_files.clear()
-tm.LEDGER[:] = [{"at": dt.datetime.now(dt.timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"),
-                "model": "claude-sonnet-5-5", "in": 0, "out": 0, "usd": 4.75}]
-with cf.ThreadPoolExecutor(1) as _outer42:
-    _run42 = _outer42.submit(run, World([card(n, D) for n in (1, 2)]), {
-        "TIME_MODE": "live", "TIME_WORKER": "claude:sonnet", "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "test",
-        "TIME_PARALLEL": "2", "TIME_DAILY_USD": "5", "TIME_MONTHLY_USD": "100"})
-    try:
-        assert _entered42.wait(5) and _waiting42.wait(5), "first request in flight and second waiting"
-        assert len(_api_calls42) == 1, _api_calls42
-    finally:
-        _release42.set()
-    w42 = _run42.result(timeout=5)
-assert len(_api_calls42) == 2, _api_calls42
-assert len([b for _, b in w42.posted if "opened PR #" in b]) == 2, w42.posted
-assert not any(tm.beats_of(w42.comments[n])[-1]["beat"] in ("error", "capped", "stuck") for n in (1, 2))
-assert abs(tm._RESERVED_USD) < 1e-8, tm._RESERVED_USD
-# A call that cannot fit EVEN WITHOUT reservations fails before contacting API.
-tm.LEDGER[-1]["usd"] = 0.24
-_before42 = len(_api_calls42)
-try:
-    tm.chat(_body42, 3)
-    raise AssertionError("hard allowance must reject")
-except tm.Budget:
-    pass
-assert len(_api_calls42) == _before42 and tm._RESERVED_USD == 0
-# An API exception releases its reservation, without swallowing the exception.
-tm.LEDGER.clear()
-def _failed_api42(body, timeout):
-    raise RuntimeError("provider failed")
-tm.anthropic_chat = _failed_api42
-try:
-    tm.chat(_body42, 3)
-    raise AssertionError("provider error must propagate")
-except RuntimeError as e:
-    assert str(e) == "provider failed"
-assert tm._RESERVED_USD == 0
-
-tm.anthropic_chat, tm.venice_work = _original_api42, _original_worker42
-tm._BUDGET_CHANGED = _original_condition42
-tm.LEDGER[:] = _original_ledger42
-tm._ledger_files.clear()
-for _key42 in ("TIME_PARALLEL", "TIME_DAILY_CAP", "TIME_DAILY_USD", "TIME_MONTHLY_USD"):
-    os.environ.pop(_key42, None)
-print("ALL OK 41-42 (API overlap, automatic contention recovery, hard cap, failure cleanup)")
-
 # ---------- venture loop: still GitHub-shaped (Pages, author_association, per_page). Ported in its own card;
 # until then these run only with TIME_TEST_VENTURE=1 against the old fake.
 if not os.environ.get("TIME_TEST_VENTURE"):
@@ -1641,5 +1532,3 @@ with cf.ThreadPoolExecutor(2) as ex:
 vt2.tm.Hands, vt2.tm.venice_work = real40
 got = dict((n, (x, y)) for n, x, y in seen40)
 assert got[1][0] == "wrote" and got[1][1].startswith("refused") and got[2][0].startswith("refused") and got[2][1] == "wrote", got
-
-

.github/time/time.py

@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import datetime as dt
 import importlib.util
 import atexit
-from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed
-import threading
 import base64
 import json
 import os
@@ -235,51 +233,10 @@ def anthropic_chat(body: dict, timeout: float) -> dict:
 
 
 def chat(body: dict, timeout: float) -> dict:
-    """Reserve a conservative cost estimate; overlap requests that fit.
+    """Every model call goes through here: the budget is checked first and the spend booked after."""
-
+    budget_check()
-    Temporary reservation contention waits for a completing call, rather than
+    out = (anthropic_chat if provider_of(body["model"]) == "anthropic" else venice_chat)(body, timeout)
-    stranding a dispatched card as capped. Only actual allowance exhaustion
+    book(body["model"], out.get("usage") or {})
-    rejects the call. This protects ONE process, not other Actions runs.
-    Provider requests/retries are timeout-bounded; wait releases the lock.
-    """
-    global _RESERVED_USD
-    model = body["model"]
-    price = price_of(model)
-    quote = 0.0
-    if price:
-        payload = json.dumps({"messages": body.get("messages"), "tools": body.get("tools")},
-                             ensure_ascii=False, default=str).encode("utf-8")
-        # Text-only estimate, deliberately pessimistic; not a billing guarantee
-        # for hidden framing, provider retries, or calls with unknown usage.
-        max_output = max(0, int(body.get("max_tokens") or 4000))
-        quote = (len(payload) * price[0] + max_output * price[1]) / 1e6
-    with _BUDGET_CHANGED:
-        while True:
-            budget_check()
-            day, day_cap, month, month_cap = budget()
-            if day + quote > day_cap or month + quote > month_cap:
-                raise Budget("remaining booked-spend allowance cannot cover this model call")
-            if (day + _RESERVED_USD + quote <= day_cap and
-                    month + _RESERVED_USD + quote <= month_cap):
-                _RESERVED_USD += quote
-                break
-            # Other requests reserve capacity, but this one fits after they
-            # settle. A spurious wakeup simply rechecks the current allowance.
-            _BUDGET_CHANGED.wait()
-    try:
-        out = (anthropic_chat if provider_of(model) == "anthropic" else venice_chat)(body, timeout)
-    except BaseException:
-        with _BUDGET_CHANGED:
-            _RESERVED_USD = max(0.0, _RESERVED_USD - quote)
-            _BUDGET_CHANGED.notify_all()
-        raise
-    with _BUDGET_CHANGED:
-        try:
-            book(model, out.get("usage") or {})
-        finally:
-            # Replace reservation with measured spend in ONE locked transition.
-            _RESERVED_USD = max(0.0, _RESERVED_USD - quote)
-            _BUDGET_CHANGED.notify_all()
     return out
 
 
@@ -287,9 +244,6 @@ def chat(body: dict, timeout: float) -> dict:
 # Deterministic on purpose: arithmetic over usage numbers decides, never a model.
 
 LEDGER: list[dict] = []
-_LEDGER_LOCK = threading.RLock()  # cached ledger read may do HTTP; never hold across model/tool work
-_BUDGET_CHANGED = threading.Condition(_LEDGER_LOCK)
-_RESERVED_USD = 0.0  # in-flight quote, replaced atomically by measured spend
 _ledger_files: dict[str, tuple[list[dict], str | None]] = {}  # month -> (lines, sha) as read this process
 
 
@@ -1089,24 +1043,10 @@ def cmd_heartbeat() -> int:
             plan_spec(spec)
         except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
             print(f"spec #{spec['number']}: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
-    worker = (os.environ.get("TIME_WORKER") or "cursor").strip()
+    for _ in range(3):  # a merge can free the slot for the next card; dispatch it in the same run
-    parallel = max(1, min(16, int(os.environ.get("TIME_PARALLEL") or 1)))
-    if seat_worker(worker) and price_of(worker_seat_model(worker)[1]) and parallel > 1:
-        # Fill slots before invoking the workers, rather than wait for the
-        # first API call to complete before promoting the second card.
-        for _ in range(parallel):
-            if promote_next() is None:
-                break
         tick()
-        for _ in range(parallel):
+        if promote_next() is None:
-            if promote_next() is None:
+            break
-                break
-            tick()
-    else:
-        for _ in range(3):  # Cursor/unpriced/one-worker preserve the historical path
-            tick()
-            if promote_next() is None:
-                break
     return 0
 
 
@@ -1146,12 +1086,6 @@ def tick() -> None:
         plan.append((card, last, m.group(1).strip() if m else None, blocked, capped, revision, revised_at))
     print(f"tick {now:%Y-%m-%dT%H:%MZ} mode={mode} cards={len(cards)} launches_today={launches_today}/{cap}")
 
-    # API workers have isolated branches; only budget and receipt accounting
-    # need a lock. Submit all eligible cards before awaiting any provider.
-    parallel = max(1, min(16, int(os.environ.get("TIME_PARALLEL") or 1)))
-    pool = (ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=parallel)
-            if seat_worker(worker) and price_of(worker_seat_model(worker)[1]) and parallel > 1 else None)
-    pending = {}  # future -> (card, capped, provider, revision)
     tripped = None
     for card, last, done, blocked, capped, revision, revised_at in plan:
         n, state = card["number"], (last or {}).get("beat")
@@ -1184,14 +1118,10 @@ def tick() -> None:
                             unlabel(rev["number"], "needs-human")  # the objection is being answered
                         except RuntimeError as e:
                             print(f"#{n}: needs-human label not removed: {str(e)[:100]}")
-                    args = (card, done, worker.split(":", 1)[1])
+                        r = venice_work(card, done, worker.split(":", 1)[1], review=revision["feedback"])
-                    kwargs = {"review": revision["feedback"]} if rev else {}
+                    else:
-                    if pool is not None:
+                        r = venice_work(card, done, worker.split(":", 1)[1])
-                        pending[pool.submit(venice_work, *args, **kwargs)] = (card, capped, prov, bool(rev))
+                    # back to `dispatched`: the next beat reviews the PR again and the new verdict is the one that counts
-                        continue
-                    r = venice_work(*args, **kwargs)
-                    # The next beat reviews the PR. The existing sequential path
-                    # is unchanged for Cursor and one-worker API configurations.
                     comment(n, f"⏱️ Time: `{r['seat']}` " + ("pushed its answer to" if rev else "opened") + f" PR #{r['pr']} "
                             f"({r['steps']} steps, {r['model']}). Review and landing follow on the next beat.",
                             {"beat": "dispatched", "worker": prov, **({"revised": True} if rev else {}), **r})
@@ -1244,29 +1174,6 @@ def tick() -> None:
             print(f"#{n}: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
             comment(n, f"⏱️ Time: the worker call failed: `{str(e)[:300]}`. Comment `/time retry` to try again.",
                     {"beat": "error"})
-    # Gather by completion, not submission order. A slow seat does not block
-    # starting or finishing a different card.
-    for future in as_completed(pending):
-        card, capped, prov, revised = pending[future]
-        n = card["number"]
-        try:
-            r = future.result()
-            comment(n, f"⏱️ Time: `{r['seat']}` " + ("pushed its answer to" if revised else "opened") + f" PR #{r['pr']} "
-                    f"({r['steps']} steps, {r['model']}). Review and landing follow on the next beat.",
-                    {"beat": "dispatched", "worker": prov, **({"revised": True} if revised else {}), **r})
-        except Budget as e:
-            print(f"#{n}: spend cap reached: {e}")
-            tripped = tripped or str(e)
-            if not capped:
-                comment(n, f"⏱️ Time: {e}. Nothing is lost; this card resumes once there is budget.", {"beat": "capped"})
-        except LookupError as e:
-            comment(n, f"⏱️ Time: can't go further on this card: {e}. I'll carry on once it's added.", {"beat": "blocked"})
-        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
-            print(f"#{n}: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
-            comment(n, f"⏱️ Time: the worker call failed: `{str(e)[:300]}`. Comment `/time retry` to try again.",
-                    {"beat": "error"})
-    if pool is not None:
-        pool.shutdown(wait=True)
     if tripped:
         andon(tripped)
 

.github/workflows/heartbeat.yml

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
         (startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '**Approve') || startsWith(github.event.comment.body, 'Approve') ||
          startsWith(github.event.comment.body, '**Object') || startsWith(github.event.comment.body, 'Object'))))
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 20
+    timeout-minutes: 55   # workers can overlap inside one job now (#75); under the hourly cadence, and the concurrency group queues the next run
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ jobs:
           VENICE_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.VENICE_API_KEY }}
           ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}   # user-level secret on teahubxyz (docs/decisions.md on the spine)
           TIME_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TIME_TOKEN }}   # repo secret: the `time` bot opens and merges PRs (Gitea denies that to the Actions identity)
+          TIME_SEAT_CLAUDE: ${{ secrets.TIME_SEAT_CLAUDE }}   # umbrella seat, retired once the per-seat tokens below are in use (#76)
+          TIME_SEAT_HAIKU: ${{ secrets.TIME_SEAT_HAIKU }}     # one Gitea user per seat (model line): a seat's verdict is a real review by its own user (#76)
+          TIME_SEAT_SONNET: ${{ secrets.TIME_SEAT_SONNET }}
+          TIME_SEAT_OPUS: ${{ secrets.TIME_SEAT_OPUS }}
+          TIME_SEAT_FABLE: ${{ secrets.TIME_SEAT_FABLE }}
           TIME_TRUSTED: ${{ vars.TIME_TRUSTED }}   # org owners etc.; collaborators are trusted without being listed
           TIME_RUN_IMAGE: node:22-bookworm   # the worker's shell runs in a throwaway container, not next to these secrets
           TIME_MODE: ${{ vars.TIME_MODE }}

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 - The second fix round escalates to Kimi's code model (`venice:kimi code`) instead of grok 4.7: still a different model from the first round, at a fraction of the cost. `TIME_VENTURE_ESCALATE` overrides it.
 
 ### Added
+- `TIME_PROTECTED` now governs every protected path except the workflow directories (`.github/workflows/`, `.gitea/workflows/`), which stay a human's merge whatever it says. The default still protects all of `.github/`; a repo that trusts its reviewer can set `TIME_PROTECTED=.github/workflows/,.gitea/workflows/,deploy,infra/,.env,secret` so the engine under `.github/time/` merges itself on Approve + green like any other code.
 - Objections go back to the worker. `/time retry` on a card whose PR is open hands the worker the reviewer's latest comments (marked as the reviewer's, strangers' left out) on the same branch; `open_pr` on an open PR updates its description instead of failing; the card goes back to `dispatched`, so the next beat reviews again and an objection older than the push no longer counts.
 - A batch's children start in the tick that spawned them (GitHub lists a card made a moment ago only later, so they used to wait a tick).
 - Build briefs keep claims to what the code does: no promised features or schedules, and the trending repos are the wave a venture rides, never something it "builds on". Fix rounds take a failing claim off the page rather than building a feature in a hurry. In the first live batch, every fix round was a claim the code didn't back.

time/ledger/2026-10.jsonl

@@ -193,3 +193,43 @@
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 {"at":"2026-10-17T18:28:11Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","in":2565,"out":1767,"usd":0.00114}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:20:54Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":2158,"out":26,"usd":0.004576}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:20:56Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":2637,"out":163,"usd":0.006904}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:20:58Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":3153,"out":187,"usd":0.008176}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:01Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":5843,"out":191,"usd":0.013596}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:06Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":6251,"out":341,"usd":0.015912}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:09Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":6655,"out":381,"usd":0.01712}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:16Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":7036,"out":659,"usd":0.020662}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:20Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":7483,"out":397,"usd":0.018936}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:37Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":7960,"out":1855,"usd":0.03447}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:49Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":10584,"out":1157,"usd":0.032738}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:21:57Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":11307,"out":837,"usd":0.030984}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:04Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":16615,"out":513,"usd":0.03836}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:17Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":19010,"out":942,"usd":0.04744}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:23Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":19216,"out":477,"usd":0.043202}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:33Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":19515,"out":970,"usd":0.04873}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:45Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":19943,"out":1162,"usd":0.051506}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:47Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":22260,"out":116,"usd":0.04568}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:50Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":22837,"out":187,"usd":0.047544}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:54Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":23284,"out":220,"usd":0.048768}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:56Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":24921,"out":165,"usd":0.051492}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:22:58Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":25358,"out":70,"usd":0.051416}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:00Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":27711,"out":210,"usd":0.057522}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:04Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":31018,"out":347,"usd":0.065506}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:08Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":33756,"out":253,"usd":0.070042}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:10Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":35236,"out":161,"usd":0.072082}
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+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:43Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":54408,"out":310,"usd":0.111916}
+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:47Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":55850,"out":193,"usd":0.11363}
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+{"at":"2026-10-17T20:23:53Z","model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","in":60500,"out":471,"usd":0.12571}
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